October 22nd, 2022 What’s Up?
Today is Saturday 22 October 2022. I began working on this blog post a bit before 1pm — better late than never keeps the streak alive. I just finished my “A Bird Photographer’s” Story Master Class at OKC PhotoCon. It was well received. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about an hour to prepare and makes two hundred-ten days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.
Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Brand-New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or to any prior purchases.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
|
|
Joe McNally and yours truly chatting after his program
iPhone image courtesy of and copyright 2022 StukenborgPhotography
image
|
Joe McNally in pictures & words, but mostly words …
I have been aware of Joe McNally’s images for several decades. I knew that he had been a Nikon Ambassador and a National Geographic photographer for decades. I’d seen his images, but had never seen him speak until late yesterday afternoon. For a sampling of his best work, check out the portfolio on his website here. Immerse yourself in the 314-image slide show by clicking on the right-facing forward arrow. It is hard to believe that he has many thousands more astoundingly beautiful and creative images. Heck, surely tens of thousands more.
In short, the program turned out to be one of those the top-ten-days-in-my-life experiences. Here are some of the words that I came up with to describe Joe’s work, his images, his career, his life, and the program. Many of these adjectives describe all of those categories, in no particular order. Astounding, creative, astoundingly creative, personable, humorous, dedicated, hard-working, light-hearted, perseverant, brilliant, vast, technically & technologically-gifted, acclaimed, award-winning, oft-honored, prolific, fearless, zany, insane, visionary, friendly, inspiring, gracious, passionate, complex, adaptable, decisive, adventurous, charismatic, fiercely independent, mind-blowing, self-confident, moving, and colorful, just to list a few. Did I mention that he likes to climb to the top of very high things with a camera in his hand and that he routinely creates stunning images of everything he photographs?
|
|
Joe McNally’s website bio
|
The Camera is a Visa – Around the Globe with Joe McNally
Joe’s program was aptly titled “The Camera is a Visa – Around the Globe with Joe McNally.” So, what does Mr. McNally like to photograph? The world and everything in it. He has done street photography; newspaper photography; commercial and assignment photography; people, fashion, dance, & aviation photography, magazine photography (including cover stories for National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, Geo, Fortune, New York, Business Week, Life & Men’s Journal); and just about everything else.
I got to chat with Joe after the program and mentioned that when I had been a Canon Explorer of Light, I had twice gotten in trouble with the powers that be at Canon for quoting him, a Nikon shooter, on my blog. Two of my favorite Joe McNally quotes went something like these: “Here’s a roll of film, there’s the door. Everyone is equal. Let’s see what you can do,” and “Part of succeeding as a photographer is to put your lens in a spot where nobody has ever put one before.”
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
October 21st, 2022 San Diego IPT #3 Changes
With five slots filled on the second (4 1/2 day) San Diego IPT, and nobody onboard for the third San Diego IPT (formerly 3 1/2 days), the third IPT will now begin on THURS 19 JAN 2023, a day earlier than previously scheduled. Like #2, it will run for 4 1/2 days. Sign up for that one (or for #1), to enjoy a practically private IPT
|
|
|
This all-new card includes images created on my JAN 2022 visit to San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
|
The 2022/23 San Diego Brown Pelicans (and more!) IPTs
San Diego IPT #1. 3 1/2 DAYS: WED 21 DEC thru the morning session on Saturday 24 DEC 2022. $2099.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 5.
San Diego IPT #2. 4 1/2 DAYS: SAT 7 JAN thru the morning session on WED 11 JAN 2023: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers/Openings: 1.
San Diego IPT #3: 4 1/2 DAYS: THURS 19 JAN thru the morning session on MON 23 JAN 2023: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 6 photographers.
Please e-mail for information on personalized pre- and post-IPT sessions.
Join me in San Diego to photograph the spectacular breeding plumage Brown Pelicans with their fire-engine red and olive green bill pouches; Brandt’s (nesting) and Double-crested Cormorants; breeding plumage Wood and Ring-necked Ducks; other duck species possible including Lesser Scaup, Redhead, Northern Shoveler and Surf Scoter; a variety of gulls including Western, California, and the gorgeous Heermann’s, all in full breeding plumage; shorebirds including Marbled Godwit, Willet, Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover; many others are possible including Least, Western, and Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Black and Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated Plover, and Surfbird; Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions (both depending on the current regulations and restrictions). And as you can see by studying the IPT cards, there are some nice bird-scape and landscape opportunities as well. Not to mention a ton of excellent flight photography opportunities and instruction.
Please note: where permitted and on occasion, ducks and gulls may be attracted (or re-located) with offerings of grains or healthy bread.
|
|
|
San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
|
Learning Exposure, Whether You Like It Or Not
Whether you like it or not, we will be beating the subject of exposure like a dead horse. In every new situation, you will hear my thoughts on exposure along with my thoughts on both Nikon and Canon histograms and SONY Zebras. Whether you like it or not, you will learn to work in manual mode so that you can get the right exposure every time (as long as a bird gives you ten seconds with the light constant). Or two seconds with SONY zebras … And you will learn what to do when the light is changing constantly. What you learn about exposure will be one of the great takeaways on every IPT.
|
|
|
Though the pelicans will be the stars of the show on this IPT, there will be many other handsome and captivating subjects in wonderful settings. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
|
It Ain’t Just Pelicans
With gorgeous subjects just sitting there waiting to have their pictures taken, photographing the pelicans on the cliffs is about as easy as nature photography gets. With the winds from the east almost every morning there is usually some excellent flight photography as well, often with 70-200mm lenses! And the pelicans are almost always doing something interesting: preening, scratching, bill pouch cleaning, or squabbling. And then there are those crazy head throws that are thought to be a form of intra-flock communication. You will be guided as to how to make the best of those opportunities. Depending on the weather, the local conditions, and the tides, there are a variety of other fabulous photo chances available in and around San Diego.
|
|
|
Did I mention that there are lots of great birds and natural history subjects in San Diego in winter? Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
|
The San Diego Details
These IPTs will include four or five 3-hour morning photo sessions, three or four 1 1/2-hour afternoon photo sessions, and three or four working brunches that will include image review and Photoshop sessions. On rare cloudy days, we may — at the leader’s discretion, stay out in the morning for a long session and skip that afternoon. To ensure early starts, breakfasts will be your responsibility. And so that we can get some sleep, dinners will be on your own as well. In the extremely unlikely event that Goldfish Point is closed due to local ordinance (or whimsy) — that has never happened in the past fifty years, I will of course do my very best to maximize our photographic opportunities.
|
|
|
San Diego offers a wealth of very attractive natural history subjects, including and especially the Pacific race of California Brown Pelican. With annual visits spanning more than four decades, I have lots of photographic experience there … Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
|
Deposit Info
A $699 deposit is required to hold your slot for one of the 2022/23 San Diego IPTs. You can send a check (made out to “BIRDS AS ART”) to us here: BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL, 33855, or call Jim or Jennifer at the office with a credit card at 863-692-0906. Your balance, payable only by check, is due three months before the trip.
|
|
|
Variety is surely the spice of life in San Diego. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
|
Getting Up Early and Staying Out Late
On all BIRDS AS ART IPTS including and especially the San Diego IPT, we get into the field early to take advantage of unique and often spectacular lighting conditions and we stay out late to maximize the chances of killer light and glorious sunset silhouette situations. We often arrive at the cliffs a full hour before anyone else shows up to check out the landscape and seascape opportunities.
What’s Up?
After a delayed but otherwise blessedly uneventful flight to Dallas/Love Field, the drive to the west shore of Lake Hefner took about four hours with pit stops. The water levels are the lowest in fifteen years with acres of exposed red dirt turning to mud as you approach the shoreline. The living birds — American White Pelicans and Ring-billed and Franklin’s Gull, were impossible to approach. It was much easier to get close to the dead birds. Blog post soon on those.
I checked into the Photocon hotel, the Embassy Suites Northwest Parkway in OKC, at about 7:45pm, threw my stuff in the room, and had dinner at a nearby Outback Steakhouse.
Thanks to Bob Eastman and Guido Bee for leaving comments on Matthew Milnes’ fine Z9 images from the 2nd DeSoto IPT. I will share my two favorites tomorrow. What were yours? Click here to contribute. Then consider today’s two featured images and let us know what you think.
A First for Me!
Today is Friday 21 October 2021. For the first time in my life, I am having a formal headshot done. I will be sitting (if you would), for Pam Stukenborg, owner/photographer at Stukenborg Photo in Tulsa, OK, during her OKC PhotoCon program, Headshots and Banker Hours. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about an hour to prepare and makes two hundred-nine days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
Homer IPT Multiple Trip Discounts Increased
Save $1,500.00 by doing back-to-back trips. Save $2500 by doing all three trips. If you sign up with a friend or a spouse, please e-mail for couples’ discount info.
On Getting Better
Consider joining me on a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). The DeSoto, San Diego, Homer, and the yet-to-be announced July 2023 Jacksonville and July 2024 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime all offer the opportunity for you to dramatically improve your skills both in the field and at the computer and to make some astounding images as well. Click here and see which IPT might be best for you.
Attention NANPA Members
If you are currently a NANPA member who enjoys and benefits from your membership and would like to see the organization grow and improve, please contact me via e-mail on a matter of urgent importance.
What a Difference 43 Seconds (or less) Can Make
Sony 200-600 /w1.4X TC!
As seen here previously, the Sony 200-600 G lens with the 1.4X TC paired with the Alpha 1 is deadly on birds, particularly when the sun is shining. It is light enough for most folks to handhold for extended periods, and offers a zoom range of 280-840mm. Since you will be at f/9 wide open at the long end, you will need to use some high ISOs on cloudy days to achieve the shutter speeds needed for bird photography. But, as we have seen here recently, folks are routinely creating usable images at ridiculously high ISOs — from 10000 to as high as 32000. This rig is tough to beat when photographing the pelicans at La Jolla as it combines great reach with the ability to zoom out when needed. For static subjects, especially in low light conditions, get the rig on a tripod for sharped images at lower ISO settings. Remove the TC and you can zoom out to 200mm for bird-scapes.
Sorry Canon folks — the Sony 200-600 slays the RF 100-500 every which way but Sunday. The greater reach and a wider aperture are the two primary advantages.
The Advantages of High Frame-rate Camera Bodies
At times, I run across bird photographers on IPTs (or otherwise) using less than the highest frame-rate that their cameras offer for bird photography. They say, “I do not want to have to go through so many images.” In almost all circumstances, this seems insane to me. Though today’s two featured images were created 43 seconds apart, they might have been created just one second apart, or even in the same second. With the a1 we get 30 images in every single second. Even when photographing a seemingly static subject, one or two images in a series will almost always stand out as best. And when shooting birds in flight and in action, almost every single frame will be distinctly different. Using Photo Mechanic to pick your keepers enables you to edit session or day folders with thousands of images in less than 30 minutes, far less as your skills improve.
Crank that puppy up to the max and fire away when the bird or birds are moving.
Your Call?
Which of Today’s two featured images is the strongest? I have a clear choice, but I am betting that not everyone will agree.
|
|
|
Click on the image to better see the green eye-AF boxes in action.
Sony Alpha 1 Flight Photography AF Points!
|
The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group: $150.00 (or Free)
The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group is going great guns as more and more folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based answers. As the a1 is becoming more readily available, more and more folks are getting their hands on this amazing body. The group is now up to up to an astounding 131 lucky and blessed folks, and more than a few folks own two or more a1 bodies! Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. The best news is that everyone in the group receives an e-mail that includes a .DAT file with my a1 settings on it, and explicit directions on how to load my settings onto your a1; talk about convenience! I am now offering a .DAT file compatible with firmware update 1.20. Your entry into the group includes a consolidated Sony a1 CAMSETA2 INFO & GUIDE. New a1 folks will now receive six e-mails instead of the previous 28! You will receive new e-mails as they are published. Simply put, this e-mail guide is an incredible resource for anyone with an a1.
All who purchased their Alpha 1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link — B&H or Bedfords — will receive a free Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up Guide and free entry into the Info Updates group after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.). Others can purchase their guide here in the BAA Online Store.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
October 20th, 2022 Fall 2022 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3 Late Registration Discount Info
If you are interested in learning about the late registration discount offer for the third Fort DeSoto IPT, please get in touch via e-mail
On Getting Better
Consider joining me on a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). The DeSoto, San Diego, Homer, and the yet-to-be announced July 2023 Jacksonville and July 2024 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime all offer the opportunity for you to dramatically improve your skills both in the field and at the computer and to make some astounding images as well. Click here and see which IPT might be best for you.
|
|
|
Fort DeSoto in fall is rife with tame birds. All the images on this card were created at Fort DeSoto in either late September or very early October. I hope that you can join me there this fall. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Caspian Tern, Great Egret, Sandwich Tern with fish, Willet, Black-bellied Plover threat display, Snowy Egret, 2-year old Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron, juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron.
|
Fall 2022 Fort DeSoto Instructional Photo-Tour #3
3 1/2 Days: Monday 31 October through the morning session on Thursday 3 November 2022. $1899.00 includes three working lunches. Limit six photographers/Openings: 5.
Fort DeSoto, located just south of St. Petersburg, FL, is a mecca for migrant shorebirds and terns in fall. There they join hundreds of egrets, herons, night-herons, and gulls that winter on the T-shaped peninsula. With any luck at all, we should get to photograph one of Florida’s most desirable shorebird species: Marbled Godwit. Black-bellied Plover and Willet are easy, American Oystercatcher is pretty much guaranteed. Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and White Ibis are easy as well and we will almost surely come up with a tame Yellow-crowned Night-Heron or two. And we will get to do some Brown Pelican flight photography. In addition, Royal, Sandwich, Forster’s, and Caspian Terns will likely provide us with some good flight opportunities as well. Though not guaranteed, Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork might well be expected. And we will be on the lookout for a migrant passerine fallout in the event of a thunderstorm or two.
On this IPT, all will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button. Everyone will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them, to understand and predict bird behavior, to identify many species of shorebirds, to spot the good situations, to choose the best perspective, to see and understand the light, and to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system. Most importantly, you will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography. And you will learn how and why to work in Manual mode (even if you’re scared of it). The best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever and whenever you photograph.
There will be a Photoshop/image review session during or after lunch (included) each full day. That will be followed by Instructor Nap Time.
This IPT will run with only a single registrant (though that is not likely to happen). The best airport is Tampa (TPA). Once you register, you will receive an e-mail with Gulfport AirBnB information.
A $600 deposit is due when you sign up and is payable by credit card. Balances must be paid by check two months before the trip. Your deposit is non-refundable unless the IPT sells out with six folks, so please check your plans carefully before committing. You can register by calling Jim or Jennifer during weekday business hours at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand, or by sending a check as follows: make the check out to: BIRDS AS ART and send it via US mail here: BIRDS AS ART, PO BOX 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with detailed instructions, clothing, and gear advice. Please shoot me an e-mail if you plan to register or if you have any questions.
|
|
|
Clockwise from upper left to center: Long-billed Curlew, juvenile Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwits, Great Blue Heron, juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper, Wood Stork, smiling Sea Scallop, Ruddy Turnstone scavenging needlefish, Great Blue Heron sunset silhouette at my secret spot, and southbound migrant tern flock blur.
|
Up Early, Stay Out Late!
Obviously, folks attending an IPT will be out in the field early and stay late to take advantage of the sweetest light and sunrise and sunset colors (when possible). The good news is that the days are relatively short in early fall. I really love it when I am leaving the beach on a sunny morning after a great session just as a carful or two of well-rested photographers are arriving. The length of cloudy morning sessions will often be extended. Click on the composite to enjoy a larger version.
Spoonbills at DeSoto
Over the past years, Roseate Spoonbills have become regular visitors to Fort DeSoto Park. I know when and where to find them and can teach you to approach them successfully. Do consider joining me on the last Fall DeSoto IPT.
What’s Up?
I left home at 6:00am to catch my flight to Dallas. I fly there rather than to OKC to enjoy a non-stop flight. Then a three hour drive up to the PhotoCon hotel. I will be staying on for a few days before flying home Wednesday afternoon. If anyone knows any spots north of Dallas that might be good for bird photography at this time of year, please get in touch via e-mail; perhaps we could meet up.
Enjoy Matt Milnes’ very fine featured z9 images and leave a comment letting us know your favorite and why you made your choice. I have a tie for first. It is obvious that the Z9 on the 500PF with the adapter is deadly when in competent hands.
Today is Thursday 20 October 2022. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about two hours to prepare and makes two hundred-eight days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!
Homer IPT Multiple Trip Discounts Increased
Save $1,500.00 by doing back-to-back trips. Save $2500 by doing all three trips. If you sign up with a friend or a spouse, please e-mail for couples’ discount info.
On Getting Better
Consider joining me on a BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT). The DeSoto, San Diego, Homer, and the yet-to-be announced July 2023 Jacksonville and July 2024 Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime all offer the opportunity for you to dramatically improve your skills both in the field and at the computer and to make some astounding images as well. Click here and see which IPT might be best for you.
Attention NANPA Members
If you are currently a NANPA member who enjoys and benefits from your membership and would like to see the organization grow and improve, please contact me via e-mail on a matter of urgent importance.
How Much Can You Learn in a Single Morning?
Matthew Milnes
I first met Matthew Milnes online when he kindly identified the egg-laying turtle in the blog post here as a Peninsular Cooter (Pseudemys peninsular). We had been in touch off and on since then. On the third day of the second Fort DeSoto IPT, a handsome young man approached me and asked, “Are you Arthur Morris? I am Matthew Milnes, the guy who helped you with the turtle ID a while back.” We got to chatting and Matthew — vacationing with his family, after watching me work with the grouped for a while, asked about joining us for a morning of in-the-field instruction the next day. Thus, we spent got to spend several hours together that Monday. He really paid attention to what I had to say.
As is the custom for all IPT and I-T-F participants, I invited Matthew to send some of his favorite images for a short critique. I chose four of those to feature in today’s blog post. My comments will flow each image.
Matt, your images are pretty darn good for a herps guy! (He is a herpetologist by trade.) The oystercatcher blur is lovely. Especially the background tones and layers. Bummer that that species rarely flaps. As there is too much blue at the bottom, I cropped this one for the blog.
How Much Can You Learn in a Single Morning?
Here’s what Matt had to say:
I learned a lot about finding and seeing photographic opportunities – even on a poor to mediocre day by Ft. DeSoto standards. You kept putting us in the best spot all morning long. I’ve incorporated a lot of tips from the blog posts and from Digital Basics II into my post processing routine. I look forward to another opportunity to join you for an IPT.
Matthew, the diving tern is spectacular. For the blog, I cropped a bit off the bottom. The splash is the highlight, and the image is very sharp.
The Z9 Guide
Matt purchased The Nikon Z9 Guide for Wildlife Photographers on Sunday afternoon. I sent it to him and urged him to spend some time on it that evening. He did. Here is what he had to say:
Thank you, Artie, for making the Z9 Guide available. The Setup, Photo Shooting, and Custom Menu sections offered great starting points for initial camera setup. I imagine that the guide would be immensely helpful for anyone new to Nikon, and still helpful for longtime Nikon folks transitioning from a DSLR to a mirrorless body, like me. The suggestions in the autofocus section were particularly helpful for two reasons: the Z9 has options that were not previously available in any Nikon body, and several of the default settings are likely to get in the way of shooting action.
Hey, Matt. The tight Sandwich Tern shot is excellent. It is super-sharp, and you cut the wings in just the right places (as noted in various blog posts). Maintaining accurate focus on birds in flight is a challenge for the photographer and the camera body. The Z9 rocked this one!
White-on-White Delight!
Mr. Milnes, the high key Great Egret is a delight — it put a big smile on my face. I usually would not like the bird preening the far side of its neck, but the skillful white-on-white processing is so light-hearted that it works very well.
Huge thanks to Matt for joining me at DeSoto, and for sending his fine images and allowing me to share some of them with you here today.
|
|
|
You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store for $69.00. Or Call Jim weekdays at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand.
The Nikon Z9 Guide for Wildlife Photographers
|
The Nikon Z9 Guide for Wildlife Photographers/by Warren Hatch
Editorial Consultant: Arthur Morris
In this downloadable e-book (you will receive a link by e-mail), you’ll learn everything a wildlife photographer needs to know about the Nikon Z9. The Z9 is one of the most complex camera bodies ever made. In this guide, the brilliant Warren Hatch will teach you exactly how to set up your Z9 for bird, wildlife, and nature photography. The camera offers hundreds of settings and options. Selecting the right combination of these is essential in order to effectively use the Z9 in the field.
This 83-page guide, created in the tradition of the many mega-successful BIRDS AS ART Camera User’s Guides, includes:
1- Extensive information on the autofocus system and the optimal settings for the various shooting situations that wildlife photographers encounter including and especially for birds in flight.
2- The camera controls – what they do and how to customize them for your shooting style and varying conditions.
3- Configuring the camera so that you never need to take your eye from the viewfinder when the action unfolds.
5- Insights and details on using legacy F-mount lenses on the Z-9.
6- Practical advice about the camera batteries and chargers.
7- How to take advantage of the new capabilities introduced with firmware v2.00.
8- The AF-area Modes you should use and those you should avoid.
Order yours here in the BAA Online Store for $69.00. Or Call Jim weekdays at 863-692-0906 with a credit card in hand.
Alan Murphy on the Z9 Guide
I was excited to learn that Warren had written a guide to the Nikon Z9 as I have been learning so much about the camera from him. I’ve had the Z9 for several months. Whenever I was puzzled by my new mirrorless camera body, I’d call Warren. He always had the answer. Now, everything that he knows about this great camera body — it continues to amaze me, is available to everyone. Warren’s Z9 guide is great asset for Nikon shooters.
So Who the Heck is Warren Hatch?
When it comes to Nikon camera bodies and nature photography, Warren Hatch is not chopped liver.
Warren retired from the information technology field eight years ago. He began as a computer programmer and retired as the Chief Information Officer of a multibillion-dollar consulting firm. He has been photographing full-time since then. His images have been honored by Audubon, Nature’s Best, and other international photo contests. Like me, photography is both his profession and his passion. For decades, Warren has made a concerted effort to understand what each and every camera body feature does and believes that his in-depth knowledge of his cameras’ buttons, dials, and capabilities has improved his photography.
Because of his close ties to Nikon, Warren was one of the first in the US to get his hands on a Z9. Not to mention a Nikon NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens!
For the past ten years, Warren has extracted the encrypted metadata from the Nikon NEF (raw) files for all Nikon professional camera bodies. The metadata contains the camera settings that include detailed autofocus information that is not available in Nikon’s NX Studio. He shares the extracted metadata with Phil Harvey who uses it in his hugely popular ExifTool software.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
|
|
